Humans often do their best to wreck God's plans and make matters worse; they think that they are doing something admirable or holy. Even though God had sent Jesus, many rejected him and his teachings. They felt threatened. This is a typical reaction, and many people respond in similar ways today.

But God will not be stopped - by raising Jesus from the dead and exalting him to the right hand of the throne, and God sent a clear message to humanity. Jesus speaks on behalf of God, and people should listen to him and form their lives according to his words. At the end of history, he will be the judge of the living and the dead.

The resurrection was just as difficult to believe two thousand years ago as it is today. The frightened women did not know what to make of the empty tomb. They fled but then ran into Jesus, who reassured them. But their story was not believed by many. The temple officials bribed the guards to say that the disciples had stolen the body of Jesus.

Various forms of that story are still with us. Jesus either rose from the dead, or he did not; if he did, then our entire lives must change forever. The resurrection is not just something we believe in our heads - it is something that becomes part of who we are. The resurrection is a way of life. Do our lives witness this great miracle?